FREDERICKSBURG resident Dorothy Thompson got a surprise when she went to her doctor's office for her regular appointment a few weeks ago.
When she got there, she discovered her records had been given to someone else with the same name.
Thompson, 74, shared her story at Fredericksburg's AARP chapter meeting about identity theft on Tuesday.
It was an innocent mix-up, but the situation had scared Thompson, who at first thought she might have been a victim of identity theft.
"It did agitate me," Thompson said. "You have to watch yourself in every kind of way."
Tom Moncure, a Stafford native and special counsel to the commonwealth's attorney general, said seniors are the most vulnerable victims of identity theft.
He gave seniors tips on how to protect themselves at the AARP's local monthly meeting held at the Central Rappahannock Regional Library. About 60 seniors attended.
AARP, the nation's largest advocacy group for senior citizens, provides many resources on consumer protection.
"Identity theft is a national crisis," Moncure said. "And the best remedy is to watch how much you're spending and where you're spending it at."
Virginia ranks 19th-highest in terms of identity-theft victims, according to a 2003 study by the Federal Trade Commission. Alexandria was the top city in Virginia, with 366 reported victims.
The study did not supply figures for Fredericksburg.
Arizona, which is a popular spot for retirement communities, had the most victims.
Moncure also said seniors are targets because most aren't too knowledgeable about computers or the Internet.
"The ease of which identities can be obtained is right on the Internet," he said. "And if seniors don't know how to use it, it can be dangerous."
The popularity of online shopping makes it much easier for identity thieves to have packages sent to them and the bill sent to the victim.
Local AARP chapter president Richard Geary said someone had once called his home to verify an order, and asked for the last four digits of his credit card number. Knowing he didn't order anything, he just hung up.
Some common identity-theft schemes seniors should watch out for include foreign lotteries or pigeon drops, where a person says they will share a large amount of money--typically from a lawyer or banker--if given a down payment to secure it.
Two other common identity theft crimes are "phishing expeditions," an e-mail or telephone scheme in which the caller claims to be from a bank or credit card company and asks to confirm confidential information; and "dumpster diving" an attempt to steal someone's identity by digging through trash for a Social Security number, bank account number or other identifying information.
About 20 years ago in Kentucky, Thompson had another identity crisis where someone had used $17,060 of her insurance. It was another case where someone had the same name.
She said she didn't have this type of problem until her name changed after marriage. Her maiden name was Perkins.
"But back then, the world was so different," she said. "You didn't have these types of things to worry about."
According to the FTC study, 52 percent of all identity-theft victims--nearly 5 million people--discovered that they were victims by monitoring their accounts. Another 26 percent--2.5 million people--said their banks or credit-card issuers alerted them to suspicious purchases. Eight percent said they first learned after they were turned down for credit.
Older victims were less likely to report that they were victimized. Of victims age 18 to 24, only 17 percent did not report their experience, while 66 percent of victims over the age of 65 did not tell anyone.
"If someone is asking for your Social Security number and you are skeptical, ask them why they need it," Moncure said. "You shouldn't hesitate to query when someone is trying to get your information."
About 26 percent of all victims said they knew who misused their personal information, the study said. Nine percent reported that the thief was a family member, and 6 percent said the perpetrator worked at a company or financial institution that had access to the victim's personal information.
The average amount that victims had to pay out-of-pocket as a result of identity theft in 2003 was $500, according to the study. Victims who quickly discovered misuse of their identity were less likely to incur any expenses.
To reach PORTSIA SMITH: 540/374-5419 psmith@freelancestar.com